Language and English Quiz

When did some type of spoken language develop?

• Between 100,000 and 50,000 years ago

• About 5,000 years ago

• Between 50,000 and 10,000 years ago

• Less than 1,000 years ago

Which source suggests that language came from a supernatural power?

• The natural sound source

• The social interaction source

• The divine source

• The physical adaptation source

What is the term for words that sound similar to the noises they describe?

• Onomatopoeia

• Abstract ideas

• Soundless things

• Natural sounds

Which physical features of humans are relevant for speech production?

• Eyes, ears, and nose

• Hands and feet

• Teeth, lips, mouth, larynx, and pharynx

• Hair and skin

Which proposal suggests that manual gestures may have been a precursor of language?

• The divine source

• The natural sound source

• The social interaction source

• The tool-making source

What is the term for the special capacity for language that human offspring are born with?

• Innateness

• Genetic mutation

• Physical adaptation

• Divine intervention

Which famous English epic poem is the oldest known English poem?

• Beowulf

• The Canterbury Tales

• Hamlet

• Macbeth

During which period did English change a lot and incorporate many French words?

• Old English

• Middle English

• Modern English

• Renaissance English

Which event led to the standardization of English?

• The Renaissance

• The Industrial Revolution

• The British Empire

• The invention of the printing press

What is the closest living relative of English?

• Latin

• German

• Dutch

• Frisian